Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-03-04
THE TOWN MEETING.
Our Highways Rnd their Management
Rurnish the chief Topic Of Discussion.

The III N MhhllNGs
our Highways aud their Management
Furnish the chief Topic Of Discussion.
e.. O.. ALLEN CHOSEN FIRST STREET coMMis-
sioNER by ACCLAMATIoN, AND MIR. STOCK
WELL SECOND on 4 CLOSE VOTE-rHE
mNsDALE BRIDGE QUESTION, town HALL
IMPROVEMENTS, Erc,
The attendance at the annual March
meeting when Town Clerk Newton gave
the call 10 order and read the warrant at
10 o'clock Tuesday morning was small, but
the hall soon filed up and 10y the time bust
ness was fairly under way the usual crowd
was present Mr. Herrick was chosen
moderator without opposition aud after
the customary formnlty of Mr. Newton's
reelection as town clerk had been gone
through with, Mr.. Herrick at once called
the attention of the meeting to the auditors
report and explained on his own account
how. through the drawing of duplicate
order the report made 1t appear that J. A.
Williams had been paid twice for labor for
which, ia reality he was paid only once
and thi, error, lac said, had been made
right So far as the towns account was CON
cerned. Fewer questions than usual were
asked about the report, and after discus
sion of only few minutes 1t was accepted
without objection. the voters evidently
feeling that it presented very clenr aud
satisfactory exhibit of the towns affairs.
The election of officers was then proceed
ed with and choice was made IA shown 10y
the list elsewhere published There was
no contest in any case and each election
D. L.. -. 81
choice of rOnd commissioners a. finally
made under the fourth article in the war
rant When this article was reached
/ lively discussion at once arose over prop
Ositiuu to dismiss the article and leave the
care of the highways in charge Of the Sc
lectmen. David Perry. ~ few words well
said told the meeting why he thought the
-electmcu should have charge of the ruHds
W II Alexander said the real trouble with
the highways was that one of the commits
siuners owned ~ horses and : oxen and
they had all got 10 he kept at work q. T.
Selleck thought road commissioners should
bee chosen. and so did Col hstey, who said
We wanted commissioners who know now
. 10 make good roads and would do &c. He
believed the town should have stone
crush-r and did not know why previous
votes to buy "a crushcr had not been obey
ter such "a vote was passed he and Mr. Boy
den visited several towns down the river
where crushers were either IN use or had
been abandoned and they concluded that
the town couldn't afford and didn't want
stone-crusher David Perry said that the
day "a stone-crusher was bought the town
would lind that It had got the most eXpen-
sIye baby ever born here. l. C. Crosby
thought some people IN town had got
stone crusher on the brain he didn't b,.-
heve We wanted a crusher 1t would be
cheaper to pave Nam street with granite
blocks than t. attempt to introduce the
macadam system here.
Mr. Stockweli, who had been sharply uu-
der fire all along and was evidently good
deaI wrought up toy H. took the platform
and, addressing his remarks. apparently
tu Mr. Alexander who had led in the at
tack said that the statements were not true
eff Mr. Alexander was All old gray headed
man lie had spent money ON sidewalk,
for the benefit OF the people the ladies
would every one approve of tins his own
mother wa, lady -and-atter "a long pause
-he thought people better find out what
they were talking about Col Hooker. UP
uu this. came tu Mr. Stockwel rescue and
said that Iu the beginning hc himself got
uIi petition with IUu names GA d and pre-
scented it To Mr. Stuckwel asking for side
walks for the benefit of those who must
walk Ii the highways had been neglect "a
meantime, thuse who cpuld ride could get
along with It road commissioners should
be- elected, and there ought to be no con
test let Mr. g. q Allen lwho mad been
preyiuusly mentioned be- chusen unanimous
,, and then let Mr. Stockwell Ice reelected
unanimously q NJ Highly said Tia, fg
& ,.f
highways IA recent years H. against their
former cost, was not fair He had figured
the matter out carefully and found that the
cost ~ lSS2 was $685. ~ lSS3 SM9O ia
SN4 $3.50, Ia 1885, S7597. and IN lSSG
S,jl3
john p. Sergeant of West Brattlpbor,
criticised the way the work ON the high
way9 was managed and made a persona
explanation of the reasons why he decline,
To- serve a. road commissioner last veal
after ms election. lie wanted rua,
,craper bought. which the seiectmen III,
not approve of, and he objected tu the wa,
money was wasted 10y the going and cumln-
of teams 10 do work at distant points Mr.
HerrrE believed. whatever system wa
adopted that the town should own TIA,
teams. that men should he hired by TIA,
month to look after the work and the mel
. lu the different districts he given chance
:. u1 do the work ami get the pay for IT, Dea
tstcy said that with all the fault tuun,
there had been great improvement Ia TIN
ruu'ts and II would cost the town more mon
ry If commissioners were not elected G.
B J.. thompson thought tuu much fault ma,
2 been found, and that Mr Stockwel ma,
"a dome a, well any other average MAJ
b would d.
Here the question was called for. and
tine meeting refusing a. dismiss the articl
y and leave the roads IN charge of tine select
men. and Mr.. stuckwell naune being with
drawn for the first place un the board. G.
20 q. Allen was elected first road commission
er 10y a strong and enthusiastic vote hy ac
clamation
B, For second commissioner a. +. Wait
and L. h. Stockwe were in nomination
ii and a ballot wa, necessary only ON
p taken during the day. The result was
total of 4jS votes. of which f. h. Stoclwe
/. had 2'i}. a + Waite POP % were scattering
and Mr.. Stockwell was declared elected
l.. d. Ihayer was chosen third comm,
,ioner by acclamation
The next article was t. see if the tow
= would take any action looking toward tn
purchase of the Hinsdale toll bridge and
e motion To dismiss being lost Hon. J. NJ Ty
II Ter was called upon TO state the legal point
c involved
b. Mi Tyler said the Board of Trade ma
" this winter considered the subject Of freein
Pc the bridge, among other things looking
IA the interests of the town and had reuues
D. ed him 10 look into the law of the cas-,
II His first impression was that special legi
d latlon would be required, but he found ii
" act of 1863 brought forward into the r,
Is vlsed Laws and reads as follows
N SCI 8tei 4 town may authorize its s..-ctnt,
II tu unite with the Selectmtu OF an adjoining tow
whether IN tins state AN adj Joining state u On
~ chasing the real estate easement franchise.
t. amy bridge ur ferry corporation. when the publ
10 good requires a public highway al or near q
place occupied by such bridge or ferry
The next two sections provide that whe
"a bridge has been thus purchased it shall |
the lont property of the respective tow
A which shall agree upon their proportion
the expense of maintaining the same. al
upon their respective liabilities in case of il
Is lures 10 persons or property New Ham
o. shire has a statute similar to ours passed
la 1870 10 enable Walpole 10 free the brid.
st between that town and Westminster. hl
in was permanent law Of the state Their
IS fore the towns ON the two sides of the riv,
,d hnve the full legal machinery Ia free Il
v. bridge If they would 81 elect and agree IA
% on the shares of the expenses To Ice hnru
o.. 1t was understood that the Bridge. Compai
r. was willing Ia sell its property aud fra
ui chlsc al a reasonable prire, whirh was n
a. the case of the bridge between Hurtfn
10 and Lebanon, where the bridge proper
a. had % bc taken by process of law NJ
ItsI. Il B.4 IA a a l..